Dreaming of the stars
by Golden-Eyed-Killer
Summary: The scattered avengers team find themselves drawn together once more due to a disturbing dream they all share. They will find themselves plunged into chaos, and discover there is more to their lives, and their deaths than they ever could have realised. Avengers AU. Spoilers for Iron Man 3.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is the first chapter of my Avengers AU. The characters are based on the film versions of the characters, not from the comic books. I'm not sure if it will be updated, but I shall try. I have no beta, and I'm not American, so please, ignore the mistakes.**

**Synposis: A disturbing dream draws the Avengers together, and they discover there is more to their lives, and their deaths than they ever knew. **

**Trigger warnings: Swearing, suicide, implied rape, violence. **

**_For my science bro. _**

_Loki snarled and ripped Tony from the ground by his throat. "Enough!" The frost giant exclaimed and threw Tony out of the window. Tony smashed through the window of Stark Tower and began falling to the ground. He soon reached terminal velocity and assumed the position for his iron suit to latch onto his braced body. Suddenly Tony noticed he didn't have his bracelets on. That was strange. He remembered slipping them onto his wrists while Loki's back was turned. The ground was approaching, and Tony shut his eyes and thought of Pepper. Tony hit the ground._  
Tony moaned in his sleep, and turned over restlessly. His sentient suit shifted, in response to Tony's nightmare but didn't move. Pepper moved closer to him.  
_Pepper was hanging onto the cargo container, reaching his hand down to Tony. "I'll catch you!" He yelled. Her loving, trusting eyes stared in Tony's dark ones. She let go. Tony reached out, but his outstretched arms missed her by millimetres. He cried out, an animalistic groan, and stared after Pepper falling into the flames. She disappeared into the inferno and he stared after her, broken.  
Suddenly, the landscape shifted, and Tony was back where it all began. He was hiding behind a rock in the Afghan desert, whimpering. The Stark Industries missile landed next to him. His eyes grew wide, and it exploded. Tony was thrown across the desert and he hit the sand with force. His chest grew damp and he looked down to see the blood rapidly spreading across his chest. There was an extremely large piece of shrapnel in his heart. He groaned, his ears were ringing, and under that was silence. He shut his eyes and ripped the shrapnel out with a yell. The blood flowed thick and fast, and the smell of rusted iron filled his nostrils. He stared at the blue sky and his life slipped away. His vision blurred to dark grey, and suddenly he was staring at the universe. He felt no confusion. He was nothing but content. He'd never been this happy. It was silent and forever._  
The sentient suit ripped him from his sleep, and he jerked up. Pepper had a hand on his leg, with a concerned expression on her face. He realised his face was wet, and he surreptitiously wiped the tears away. Why had he been crying? That last dream had been happy.  
"Tony?" Pepper started cautiously. Pepper looked at Tony. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you, I didn't realise the nightmares were that bad." The universe laid bare before his eyes was fading, and he could just see Pepper falling. "Stand down JARVIS." He murmured to the suit. He reached over to Pepper and pulled her towards him, into his arms. He rested his head on top of hers, and sighed. She kissed the scar on his chest where the arc reactor had sat for 5 long years of his life. He held her closer and shifted down into the bed. "Don't ever leave me Pepper." He whispered to the drowsy figure in his arms. She shifted closer and he stared out at the ocean, all thoughts of a silent universe forgotten, with his head full of a dead, limp Pepper laid before his outstretched arms.

_Steve didn't hear the rest of what the sergeant told him. He only heard the rejection. "Sir, could I leave please, sir?" He interjected weakly. His gaze was dim and broken. The sergeant glared at him for interrupting but muttered "Leave, Cadet Rogers." Steve saluted the man and walked out of the wooden office. America would be at war, and as always, he could do nothing to help. He wandered aimlessly down the road, and New York towered above him like never before. He saw all the newspapers proclaiming the brink of war, and shut his eyes to the agony flooding through his body. He found his feet taking him towards Manhattan Bridge. He walked to the middle of the bridge, and his body, which at the army camp had failed him time and time again, now had the strength to pull him up and over the high handrail. He stood on the tiny ledge above the river, which was coursing strong, the currents twisting violently, shut his eyes, threw out his arms, and fell. The current immediately took him under and his lungs burned. He coughed and inhaled water. It flew down his throat and he felt his lungs fill with water. The pain suddenly stopped and it was a gentle, caress on his body. He thought of his sweetheart, and his vision turned dark grey. The universe was laid out before his eyes and he whimpered at the expanse of it. He felt Peggy's arms around him, and he smiled. He was happy. _  
Steve woke up. He frowned as he stared at the yellowing, fragile picture of Peggy. He shut his eyes and thought of her, drifting back to sleep, with all thoughts of the universe gone.

_Thor grinned at Loki, the cold backdrop of Jotunheim making his smile even wider. Loki laughed as Thor whirled his hammer and smashed it into a frost giant's chest, sending him flying. "Behind you brother!" Thor cried. Loki whirled around to see 5 frost giants about to surround him. As one of them lunged at Loki, the apparition shimmered and faded away. Loki swung his staff and took them all out. "Brother, your tricks are getting better every-!" Thor yelled at him from the centre of a huddle of frost giants. Thor broke off as more joined the fray. They began to overwhelm him, and suddenly Loki was next to him.  
"Thor, I'll save you. Just focus on taking one out." Loki began to mutter a spell as Thor stood back to back with him, grappling with the largest frost giant. They all dropped to the floor suddenly, and Thor's sudden change in momentum made him trip. He stumbled upright and turned to Loki, who had his arms outstretched and was laughing delightedly. Thor's amused expression suddenly dropped as a frost giant tackled him to the ground and ran Loki through with a sword. Thor pointed Mjolnir towards the sky, and lightning struck the hammer. Thor pointed it at the frost giant, and it set alight, dying immediately. Thor ran to his brother and caught him in his arms. Loki's emerald eyes were weak but shining. "Do father proud Thor. But don't get in trouble for this." He chucked weakly, blood dripping from his open mouth. Thor gripped his brother tightly. "No...Loki!" He cried. Loki was sad, this wasn't how he expected this to go. He would have been king. He felt a flicker of remorse for leading Thor here. "I'm sorry Thor...I love you brother." He shut his eyes and his life painfully died away. His vision went grey and Loki was standing on a platform staring at the whole universe. "I am King!" He whispered, grinning._  
Loki woke up in a cold glass cell to someone calling his name. He opened his eyes and stiffly unfolded his body. "Laufeyson, get up you lazy fuck!" The guard yelled. Loki groaned and stood up, the thought of being King of time itself being fresh in his mind.

_Natasha cringed as she felt a warm breath in her ear speaking Hungarian gutturally. She understood him and feared his touch. She might have been a formidable assassin, but even she couldn't escape from this. An arrow pierced the heart of the henchman next to her and he fell to the floor with a dull thump. A muscled man, with a pair of red tinted sunglasses, and a slick, black bow in hand stepped in lightly. "Miss Romanoff." He said, staring levelly at her. "I am here to kill you." He continued in Russian. She saw no way out of the situation. "Well that's better than what that fucking scumbag was planning." She replied in kind. He lowered his chin in response, and without looking, shot her between the eyes. Natasha sighed as she opened her eyes, looking onto the universe. The stars shone before her, bright and unrelentless. It removed all her fear of that Budapest mission and she smiled._  
Natasha gasped awake, and Clint opened his eyes in response.  
"Babe, are you okay?" He asked. She stared into his eyes and nodded. She rolled out of bed, and took her gun, heading to their range. Clint laughed. "Night babe."

_Thor screamed as Laufey's ice cold grip tightened on his neck. "You squeal like your pathetic father, Odinson!" He snarled into Thor's ear. Thor's gaze was fading as he stared at Jotunheim. His faithful, loyal friends were dead. His brother was dead. He was dying and his attempt to kill the disgusting, traitorous frost giants had failed. He hoped his father wouldn't hate him and Asgard wouldn't suffer for his hotheadedness. Laufey roared and broke his neck. Thor's vision went dark grey, and he was standing on a structure similar to bifrost staring at not just the nine realms, but everything. He felt his father's forgiveness and his mother's love. He sighed and shut his eyes. _  
Thor awoke to the rumbling of thunder. Jane was snoring gently beside him, and he stared at the fragile human, with a rare twinge of worry in his heart. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the dark Swedish sky through the glass roof. It made him think of that dream, and he shifted, restlessly, as the worry and pain built up in his heart.

_Clint held his bow in his hand, aiming at the Hungarians surrounding himself and Natasha. "Well I never predicted this outcome." He muttered to her in an undertone. She looked at him, while shooting the henchmen around her; every bullet finding its mark. "Neither did I, Mr Barton, but I owe you for killing that bastard. And anyway, my boss is an arsehole. I don't care." She replied. He laughed, pushed her to her kneels, jumped over her, and plunged an arrow into the heart of the man who was about to shoot her. She responded in kind by using a body as a leg up to somersault off the wall and smash the butt of her gun into the head of a soldier running towards them. Together, they took out the remaining men. Clint turned to look at the beautiful woman beside him. "Well, I think this makes us exiles Natas-" A bullet ripped through his chest. "You fucking traitor Barton. You're next...'Natasha'." A burly man stood in the doorway. Clint fell to his knees, and gasped, his breath coming out in rough, short spurts. He pitched forward and the last thing he saw was Natasha falling too. Clint's vision went grey, and he awoke, sitting on a ledge, looking out over the universe. He sighed happily, he was content in his nest. _  
Clint opened his eyes, his hand shooting out to grab his bow. "Natasha." Black Widow looked up from the chair she was sitting on, typing on a laptop, bathed in its blue light. "You okay there Hawkeye?" She said, looking concerned. He stood up and walked over to her, shouldering his bow. He kissed her hair and replied. "We're off to see Tony."

_Bruce slowly took his glasses off and laid them on the table before him. He stared at the collider he'd built with joy in his heart. He'd split the uranium protons with his synchrotron and he believed the resulting gamma rays would grant him superhuman powers. It was an idea he'd been working on for years, and every test before this had killed the rats; incinerated them down to their very bones with the sheer amount of energy the protons released. But this last experiment had left the rat alive, unburnt, extremely strong, and immune to disease. He grinned, and then walked into the centre of it. He laughed loudly in his workshop, his joy permeating the air. He reached towards the control panel, and flicked the on switch. The collider began to hum, the protons approaching the speed of light, powered by electricity. The super magnets curved them into the circular path, and suddenly they smashed together. The energy radiated outward in an invisible last, and Bruce hadn't even blinked once when the radiation irradiated his bones into cinders. Everything was dark grey and then he was staring at the universe. He felt no disappointment. He was happy. He was immortal and infinite. His landscape was forever. _  
Bruce exhaled and opened his eyes. He'd never dreamt about that happening before. His nightmares were always about his 'other half' taking over, forever. He sighed and sat up. He reached over to his bedside table and put his glasses on. His apartment sensed he was awake and slowly turned the lights up. "Thanks." He murmured to the computer controlling his house. It was times like these that he was glad that Tony had helped him build his own space. He got out of his bed and the universe danced before his eyes. He felt his DNA begin to unzip and change, and his skin was turning pale green. He forced himself to be angry, and then his body settled down. He sighed and spoke aloud. He had to talk to Tony about that dream. His dreams had never caused such a violent reaction before. "Call Tony Stark."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I am sorry that this is quite a dialogue heavy chapter. And with that, onwards!**

"Sir, Dr. Banner is here to see you." JARVIS said. Tony groaned and sat up in bed. Pepper looked at Tony smiling. "Go and see him Tony, I'll still be here." Tony got out of bed and picked up his vest, pants and trousers from where he'd thrown them last night and slipped them on. He walked out of the room and blew a kiss to Pepper on his way out. He met Bruce in the living room, who was perched uncomfortably on the edge of the sofa.

"I have a problem Tony." He whispered. Tony sat down next to Bruce and put his hand on his shoulder. "I think my 'other half' is taking over. I woke up, and nearly transformed." Tony stared at Bruce. "Bruce...don't say that! It's not possible! Tell me what exactly what happened. JARVIS, record what Bruce says into my server." "Of course, sir."

Bruce turned to look Tony in his eyes, and Tony recoiled from the fear in them. He tightened his grip on Bruce's shoulder. Bruce told him the dream he woke up from, and how it ended with the whole universe laid out in front of him. Tony looked at him blankly and suddenly his dream came back, and his hand unconsciously touched his scar.

"I don't think that was your condition Bruce." Tony replied. He told him about the similar dream he had. "Is this because we worked for SHIELD? Is this what New York did to us?" Tony cried angrily. "I've had enough of this!" He stood up and gestured to the sentient suit. It walked over to it, but Bruce spoke. "JARVIS, don't let him get into it." "Yes, sir." Tony growled and looked at Bruce.

The phone rang, "Clint Barton is on the phone, sir."

"Put him through." Tony said. Clint's hologram came up in the room.

"Mr Stark! Oh and Dr Banner. Well I think this is a bad sign. This might seem stupid, and there's no way I would have called otherwise, but it happened to Natasha too. We, err, both had this dream, where although we'd met, we both died before we became part of this 'team'. We ended up staring down at the expanse of the universe like we were in heaven or something."

Bruce's head snapped to look at Clint's hologram. "That dream happened to us too. Except we died before we became who we are today."

"It has to be something to do with SHIELD. There is no other explanation. We have to go to Fury. Now. He must know." Tony growled.

"Let's not rush into this. As suspicious as he was when we saved Manhattan, maybe we should contact Steve and Thor." Bruce replied.

"JARVIS, call Rogers and Asgard."

Steve picked up first. "Stark, I do wish you wouldn't call me."

"This is important. Have you had a dream where you've died before you became spangly suit man?" Tony drawled. Steve looked at Tony. His face was simultaneously puzzled and unamused.

"Yes I have, Stark. It ended with me in heaven. How did you know?" Tony sighed and ignored his comment about heaven.

"Because it's happened to all of us too. Bruce, Clint, Natasha and I. We think it's something to do with SHIELD. I think you should come here Steve." Tony looked at Clint. "You two as well. This could end up as something serious."

"Okay." The three of them replied, in unison. The holograms faded away and Tony looked at Bruce. "I'm going to suit up when they get here. SHIELD are going to pay for this."

"Phone Thor. There is no way they could have affected him, he's not even from Earth!" Bruce interjected. Tony looked at him.

"Alright." He conceded. "JARVIS?"

"Yes sir, I'll phone Thor."

"What's your take on this?"

"Well sir, I monitor your health and the incoming transmissions 24/7. I would know if they were sending you nightmares in some form, sir." Tony sat back and put his feet up. Bruce looked puzzled. "Could they get past your defences Tony?"

Tony laughed and shook his head. Thor's image appeared in the middle of the room.

"What do you want human? I was asleep."

"We think something's wrong. We've had a shared dream of dying before we became these changed humans." Bruce said.

"Oh, hello doctor. How would this affect me? I am from Asgard! I was born a god." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Have you had a dream where you've died..." Tony stopped to think and then continued, "I assume before you ever got the chance to come to Earth, and then, you've been staring down at the stars?" Thor nodded. "You need to get here, now."

"I'll be there by first light." Thor disappeared.

Loki lay strapped to a glass table in the darkness. His body was weak, and his magic had been temporarily stripped. "I didn't even succeed. I'm only being punished because I'm not one of you!" He spat into the darkness. The only reply was to have a white hot brand pushed into the sole of his foot. His high pitch keen cut through the darkness. "You murdered defenceless people. Until you repent, you will pay." A guard hissed.

_I just wanted to be king. To not be second best. To prove myself_. Loki thought. He missed being able to roam the glass cage. They'd strapped him down and began to torture him once they'd realised he didn't care. _I wonder how Odin reacted. I bet he only cared about Thor being killed._ Loki shut his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

The Avengers sat, reunited, around a conference table, somewhere deep in the bowels of Tony's house. Tony sat at the head of the table, which had caused Steve to sigh, but make no comment, with Pepper sitting directly to his right. Bruce sat directly opposite him, and Thor, Clint and Natasha had filled the empty spaces. Steve paced round the table, but with a glance from Tony, sat next to Bruce.

"So," Tony started. As self confident as he was, he wasn't sure he could talk to the group about a collective dream they had shared without sounding ridiculous.

"I think I'll lead this." Steve interjected. Tony rolled his eyes, but sat back in his chair and allowed the captain to start. "From what I gathered during a phone call with Mr Stark and Dr Banner here," He gestured to them, "is that, somehow, our dreams are linked. We are having the same dream."

"I don't think that our dreams are linked in the sense that it's one collective dream," Bruce began, "because aside from Clint and Natasha, no-one else has been together in their dreams." Thor shifted imperceptibly and wondered if he should mention Loki, or if it would lead to a heated argument between them. "However, we have all had dreams with similar content; we die before we ever gain our abilities, or in Thor's case, before he ever came down to Earth." Thor nodded his agreement.

"I think it's SHIELD, messing with us, to see if they can control us in case they ever need the Earth protecting from little shits like Loki." Tony spoke. Thor shifted again, but didn't say anything; after all, in all of their eyes, Loki had been a little shit.

"But why would they make our dreams end up in the same place? If they wanted to control us, why didn't they use something more grounded in reality, that couldn't be forgotten when we woke up?" Natasha asked.

"That, I agree, does seem a little odd. Dreams don't mean anything, and all it's done is lead us all to be even more suspicious of them." Bruce commented.

"The councillors wanted to kill us all, and all of Manhattan, with a nuke. I really don't think that they care about our suspicions, or views of them." Tony said.

"We can't just walk up the their main office in Manhattan and ask them about our dreams. We need a plan." Steve asserted.

"We don't even know why this is happening!" Clint said. Natasha turned to him. "We all had a similar dream, once! It's like Dr Banner said, dreams don't mean anything!"

"Usually, I would agree with you, birdman, but it's too coincidental that the dream we all just happened to have was the pretty much the same for everyone, and ended in the same place. And after all, it's not like we're ordinary people. We have you two, the master assassins, a created superhuman, a green rage monster, a demi-god, and me, in my suit."

Everyone contemplated Tony's words, and he continued, "but your question regarding why this is happening is spot on. Why? Are SHIELD messing with us, and if so, why, or is something else going on here? JARVIS, gimme anything you got."

"Well sir, as unfamiliar as I am with human dreams, it seems like these dreams have always been with each of you, and it's taken the gathering of such an unusual group, and a trauma such as aliens attacking New York to unlock it."

"It seems like you're implying that they're memories and not dreams..." Bruce said.

"That's ridiculous." Tony snorted. He stood up, clicked his fingers, and his suit materialised around him. "I have always been Iron Man." He said. He waved his hand, and his suit dismantled around him. He sat back down, secretly wondering if that idea was true.

"If you humans are trying to implant false memories into my brain, I will get the force of Asgard behind me to destroy you all." Thor threatened.

"I highly doubt that," Bruce placated. "After all, you've only just come back from imprisoning your brother, and I doubt SHIELD would be able to change your memories in one day."

"We have to go to SHIELD." Steve finalised. "Tomorrow morning, at dawn, we go down there, and confront them. That gives us a day to prepare ourselves for a possible fight." Everyone nodded. "Okay. Meeting adjourned." Steve finished. All except Tony stood up. Pepper nervously hovered behind him.

"You've each got your own rooms. JARVIS will lead you there." Tony said. He watched the team leave, and then slumped in his chair, his head between his hands. "I'm just a man, Pepper. I can barely deal with aliens and gods. Manhattan still gives me nightmares. That wormhole still gives me nightmares. I cannot deal with the very idea of someone changing my thoughts." Pepper put her hands on his shoulders gently, and he stood up. He stepped around his chair and pushed it under the table. Pepper hugged him and stood there, his arms limp by his sides.

"There will be a meeting in the gym at 12." JARVIS echoed through the house. Tony had changed the set up of the gym so that there was a table full of food in one corner, and soft mats covering the floors and walls with an extremely large boxing ring in the middle. Tony was lounging on the floor, eating a slice of pizza when the team turned up.

"Right, I figured, although we all train every day, we don't get a chance to train with people similar to ourselves. So after you've eaten, everyone will suit up, and we're going to train against each other for the day." Tony addressed them. They all murmured consent.

"What about me?" Bruce asked.

"You can fight like that. I know you have a mean right hook, and you aren't bad with a gun." Tony told him. Bruce smiled in response, and sat down to eat.

Once the team had finished eating, they got up, ready to fight. Steve's costume was hanging up, and a collection of guns, knives and bows lay underneath. "Well I thought there would be a demonstration first. Steve and I will show you how it's done, and then another pair can practise, while the rest practise kill shots." Tony walked into the ring, his suit building up around his body. Steve ducked out of the room to get changed, and came back in, suit on, shield slung on his arm. He walked to the ring and climbed in. Tony was casually leaning against the ropes in his armour. Bruce called "go!", and the fight immediately began. Tony flew into Steve, with full power in his thrusters, but Steve just stood his ground with his shield protecting his body. Tony hit it with a clang, and dropped to the floor. Steve stumbled backwards a little, giving Tony time to get up, and shoot at his leg with bullets that would dissolve as soon as they hit a body, leaving nothing but a bruise. Steve jumped out of the way and threw his shield at Tony, jumping after it. It hit Tony's chest with an ear splitting clang, and then Steve was on him, pushing him to the floor. Tony hit the floor, and for a second, laid there. Steve began to relax, and Tony made his move, crushing Steve to his chest, and then flying upwards. Steve grabbed his leg and began to crush it beneath his hands. Tony laughed and flew higher, throwing Steve to the ground, while shooting bullets. The bullets stopped Steve from being able to regain his balance and he toppled to the floor. Tony dove after him and pinned him to the floor. Steve couldn't move. Bruce counted to five, and then called time.

Tony nimbly leapt off Steve, then pulled him up. "You fight well old man." He smirked, and Steve smiled back at him. Tony jumped out of the ring with no words, to the targets. Thor and Steve stepped into the ring. Clint and Natasha joined Tony in the range, as they knew they would be shooting a lot more than they would be in hand to hand combat compared to Steve, Thor or even Bruce.

Throughout the day, everyone got equal practise both in the ring and on the ranges. Once they'd all finished for the day, they sat down in Tony's dining room to enjoy a hearty meal together. When that was over, Thor, Steve and Bruce departed to their separate rooms, and Clint and Natasha went together to theirs.

Tony took Pepper's hand with a naughty smirk on his face, and led them up to their room. Tony stripped his clothes off, and jumped into bed. Pepper changed into her nightwear, and slipped into his embrace. "Turn the lights off JARVIS." JARVIS obeyed Tony's order.

"Be careful tomorrow Tony." She whispered. He was in lighter spirits after fighting, as he knew he was unbeatable with the team around him. He smiled and replied.

"For you, I will be. I love you Pepper."

"I love you too Tony." She replied. He began to kiss her, and they wasted a few hours before they fell asleep in each others arms. It was the first night since New York that he had no nightmares. Nobody in the house dreamed at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Loki was strapped to a glass table, his body lying there limp. Open wounds and bruises littered his naked body, and he was glistening with sweat under the harsh fluorescent light. His breaths were coming in stuttering, ragged gasps, but aside from that, he was silent. He glared out past the lights into the darkness. "I...hate...you...all." He hissed. The only response was to have a whip cracked onto his ankle, messily, breaking the skin. He yelped.

"Murderer." The guard replied.

He was expiring fast, and with no magic to heal himself, Loki's body was near breaking point. He shut his eyes, and began to think quickly. If he showed remorse, he would be freed, with his magic restored, and he would be able to cross the bifrost back to Earth. Then he'd show them. He didn't need a weak, pathetic army. He was the God of Mischief, and his magic was unparalleled. "I...need...to speak with...Odin." He rasped, and a whip stopped inches from his skin. Five guards surrounded him, and broke the bonds holding him with a shared incantation. They dragged him off the glass table, and Loki's feet touched the ground. His muscles were weak and unused, and his legs just collapsed beneath him. He groaned as he crashed into the floor; it just agitated all his wounds. A guard threw him some clothes and he slipped them on. They were nothing more than prison garments, a dark green shirt, and black trousers. One of the guards hauled him to his feet, and dragged him out. Once they were past the sealed door, they teleported him to Odin's throne.

Odin sat there, impassive. He stared at his adoptive son, who had made his features remorseful and sad.

"Loki, I have granted you an audience with me. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Loki pulled his web of ideas together into a intelligible thread, and tried to stand up straighter.

"Odin, I have been reflecting on my actions. I acted like a child, looking for validation through death and kingship. I have grown enough to realise that I can never be a ruler whilst my actions are so foolish. I regret killing those...humans." He cut short, before he laughed in the king's face at the lies he was spewing. He didn't regret it! He only wish more had died. He would have made examples of them until they bowed to his ruling. He was their God! "Midgard is under Thor's protection, and I should not have tried to challenge Thor." Odin stared at Loki.

"If you are being truthful, Laufeyson," Loki cringed as he was reminded that he was nothing to them, and his wish for vengeance on these pathetic Asgardians flared up. "Then, prove it."

"F-father, how?" He stuttered. But Odin had smiled at his use of father.

"My son! You have returned! You have ceased this nonsense! The Loki that attacked the Earth is gone, and in his place, I have my son back!" Loki bowed his head. He wasn't his son. But if this charade got him out, he would gladly go along with it. Odin held out his arms, and Loki shuffled forward to hug him.

"Son, your magic will be reinstated." He waved his hand, and Loki felt magic run through the fibre of his being. He had to contain his laugh. He tried to move, but stumbled. "Father, my wounds are so painful." Odin looked sadly as he surveyed all the cuts on Loki's hands, feet and face and noticed how they dipped below the neck of his shirt. In the embrace, Odin muttered a spell, and Loki's wounds were healed. He felt his vigour flow back through him, and he laughed lightly. He would destroy them all.

"However," Odin began, and Loki tensed. "I am not letting you go completely. You will be placed by Thor's side for at least a thousand years more." Loki's mouth dropped open. He would forever be in Thor's shadow.

"Father, please, no! I would rather stay locked here for eternity!"

"That is no way for my son to live. Thor can look after you, and once you truly have forgotten this poison about ruling Earth, you shall be free to roam alone." Loki moaned. Thor would be with the stupid Avengers. He could make no plan to destroy them, he could not surprise them.

"Father, you are sending me to my death! I will die!"

"Don't be dramatic. Guard, take him to the bifrost. Heimdall will send you to Thor. Son, I love you." Odin ordered. A guard stepped forward and Loki allowed his arm to be gripped tightly. Odin spoke, and suddenly, they were at the bifrost. The guard let go of his arm and shoved him onto it. Loki snarled but slowly walked across it. He stared out at the nine realms, laid bare beneath his feet and thought of that dream. _That would have been a more favourable outcome than what has happened. I would have died seemingly a hero, and my name would have been sung in their ballads. I wouldn't be an outcast, an exile. I wouldn't have killed those humans_. He shook his head. He didn't regret killing those pathetic humans. They deserved it. Soon they would all belong to him. He reached Heimdall.

"You'll be sent to Thor's side. Step in." The guardian spoke, and Loki stepped in. The guardian stepped in beside him and started the mechanism. It began to spin, and in the ceiling, Loki could see Thor lying in a bed, alone. He smirked. Then he heard Stark's voice address him.

"Asgard, breakfast will be at 7. Then we ride." Loki snarled internally. _That traitor! Staying with that stupid human. He would destroy Stark by ending that light saving his life and then he would laugh over his dead body. No-one resists him_. Loki set his features straight. The capsule revolved, and then Heimdall spoke.

"Earth. Goodbye Loki Odinson." Loki jerked his head in response and stepped out, rearranging his features and his clothes.

He stood at the foot of Thor's bed, invisible. Thor was snoring extremely loudly. "Just like old times, brother." Loki whispered. He leapt onto Thor's chest and gripped his neck, beginning to strangle him. Thor's eyes shot open and his hand flew out. Mjolnir collided with his hand, and Thor swung it at Loki's invisible form. Loki jumped off and became visible.

"Peace brother, I mean you no harm." Thor gaped at Loki, who was standing there, regally dressed, smiling, holding his hands up.

"Brother!" He exclaimed. Loki put a finger to his lips, and Thor continued in a quieter tone. "You are alive! And free! But why are you here?" Loki hung his head. Now here was someone who would take no effort to convince of his changed ways.

"I regret what I did brother. I gladly accepted my punishment. Last night I told father how I repent my actions. He freed me, under one condition. You have to look after me." Thor laughed loudly, and stood up. He pulled Loki into a rough hug.

"This is but a small price to pay to have you back Loki!" Thor cried joyfully.

"Sir, there is an intruder in Thor's room" JARVIS spoke to Tony. Tony jolted up.

"Say that again JARVIS." Tony needed no confirmation, but he didn't want to believe it. JARVIS repeated what he said. "Run checks on them. Who is it? I doubt Thor's girl could get in here, astrophysicist or not." Tony was out of bed, and threw his vest back on. His suit flew onto him and JARVIS whispered into his ear.

"It's Loki, sir."


	5. Chapter 5

Tony faltered. _Thor's brother? But how did he get in? His magic much be so much stronger than any of us ever realised. _

"Pepper stay in here."

Tony powered up his thrusters and flew to Thor's room. "JARVIS, make sure Pepper is safe and gather everyone on the roof. I can imagine I'm not the only one who'll want to kick this punk's ass."

"Yes sir." JARVIS obeyed. The door slide open and Tony stepped in silently. The brothers were hugging. Loki's head jolted up and he sprang away.

"Brother, what is wr-" Thor saw Loki's face and turned around. Tony was standing there menacingly. Loki laughed.

"So the cripple returns to fight." Tony shifted into a defensive crouch and walked forward.

"You, me, the roof, cow." Loki's regal clothes morphed into his armour.

"Make me." Loki hissed.

"Brother, stop this nonsense." Thor put his hand on Loki's chest. Tony flew forwards into Loki. Thor jerked his hand away, and Tony fell through the image and crashed into the wall. Loki stood laughing in the doorway.

"I will give you your fight, human. Nothing would please me more." The image faded away.

Loki sneaked up to the circular roof, and stood at the edge. He heard wordless cries as the rest of the Avengers joined him. He turned around, holding his hands in the air. "Ohhohoho, this could not have gone better if I'd planned it! The whole team here ready for me to destroy. You'll have to watch as I crush the life out of you, one by one. Starting with-"

Tony was hovering behind him in the air. He whipped around and leered at Tony. "Starting with you."

"Bring it on." They jumped and collided in midair. Loki summoned a ball of green energy in his palm and Tony laughed. "Please. I can do better than that." He retorted. Tony held up his own palm in response, and a jet of energy, plus some bullets, burst forth. They passed through the image, causing no damage. Loki was casually sitting on the roof laughing.

"You fall for that trick even more than Thor does. It's pathetic." He launched the ball at Tony and it smacked him square in his chest.

"Power decreased by half, sir." JARVIS reported.

"Shit." Tony replied. He rolled out of the way of the incoming demi-god, but Loki's plan was only to rip a piece of armour off. He shot his hand out, ripped a leg shield off and crushed it beneath his fingers. He threw it off the side of the roof and shrugged. Tony swallowed and flew upwards. Loki was lounging on the roof, and saw Steve start forward. He tutted, and a forcefield of green energy encompassed the pair.

"If you take one more step forward, the energy will explode and you all will die." Bruce's skin was shifting, turning green." Loki stared levelly at him. "You especially." Bruce stopped suddenly, and his skin was pale again. He pushed his glasses further up his nose. Steve stopped and stepped back. "Good boy." Tony yelled wordlessly and flew at Loki. Loki jumped up to meet him and there was an ear splitting crash. Loki's body was covered in green sparks, that danced from his body onto Tony's and back.

"Sir, I do believe I cannot function. Powering down." JARVIS spoke.

"No, JARVIS, come back, don't do that!" Tony put his hand out to try and shoot Loki but no energy was available. Tony dropped to the Earth with a yell, and Loki was at his side, a hand crushing Tony's shoulder. Loki jumped on Tony as they crashed to the Earth and pinned him down. The forcefield increased in it's intensity as Clint drew his bow.

"No, Mr Barton. I wouldn't if I were you. If you want me to possess your weak heart again, just say the word." Loki ripped Tony's helmet off. "I want to see the fear in your eyes as I rip your heart from you. As I stop that light from ever glowing again." Tony began to laugh in Loki's face; loudly and full of humour.

"Don't laugh at me you piece of shit! I will destroy you!" Loki screamed. Tony arched an eyebrow, and Loki crushed the chest piece and peeled it off. He raised his hand and thrust it towards Tony's arc reactor. He stopped as he noticed it was gone. Loki stopped, and the forcefield dropped. "...what." Loki murmured.

Thor collided with him, flipping him over onto his back and winding him. Thor pressed Mjolnir to Loki's throat, rendering him unable to move. Loki lay there defeated, while Tony stood up; his suit disappeared from him and he stood there, an eyebrow raised.

"Stop with this madness at once!" Thor yelled. "Brother, this is not you! You have changed!" Thor turned to the rest and recounted the tale of why Loki had appeared in his room. Tony laughed. "Doesn't his actions just prove that every word he said to you was a lie, Thor?" He asked. Thor shook his head.

"Brother, show them why you did what you did! I know it wasn't you, and I know you didn't mean it! You aren't the brother I grew up with." He looked into Loki's eyes. "Please, Loki?"

Loki stared at the group. He didn't want to share his life full of humiliation with this group of freaks. He thought quickly. _Maybe if I show them the worst parts, and exaggerate Thanos' control over me, I can make them feel sorry for me. I can infiltrate them, and then crush them from the inside. _

"Would you all be willing to allow me to show you a vision?" They all looked suspicious, but Thor spoke.

"I promise he cannot and will not harm you. If he even attempts to, I will rip his head from his body where he lays." Steve stepped forward.

"You aren't God. Show us all." He spoke.

Loki spoke, a spell dancing on his tongue. All their vision went black and they shut their eyes. Loki stood there before them, in a dark barren wasteland.

"Be prepared, mortals." Thor was left out of the first images; only shown his torture to avoid him revealing how Loki tricked everyone. Loki began with Thor and himself playing as children, growing up on Asgard. Loki was always in the shadows, behind Thor, smaller and weaker. He showed a few pranks he played on guards, but nothing near to the true extent of his power. He made them watch as Thor, Loki and their friends laid waste to Jotunheim. Loki's skin turned blue, and he was puzzled. Laufey captured them, but Odin saved them from death. Loki stood before his so called father, and the truth about him being a frost giant was revealed. Younger Loki cried out, and the group cringed in unison; he was so sad. It skipped to himself being crowned King. He was seen to be crying for Thor. It skipped past the events with the destroyer, and Loki was holding onto Thor's hand, dangling from the bifrost with tears in his eyes. "I just wanted to make you proud father!" He exclaimed, before falling into the nine realms. Loki was tied up, and the sceptre was placed in his hands. The shadowy figure slapped him, and Loki cringed. Suddenly he was with the Tesseract in SHIELD's lab. The next events were passed through quickly, and blurred, until Loki was arguing with the shadowy figure again in another realm. It twisted his head roughly, and Loki's armour morphed around him as came back to this realm, sitting in the chair watching his scientists work. He hung his head in despair as he realised he was trapped. He stood up, shook his head and ordered the men to work harder. The next scene was Loki being transported back to Asgard. He was put on trial, and then thrown in prison. Slowly, Loki showed them how much he was tortured, and the despairing, broken state that both his mind and body was in right before he was released. All their vision came back, and they blinked in unison to adjust to the bright sunlight.

Steve stepped forwards first. "Loki. I'm sorry." Loki growled. "You've always been second best, and that has led to you believe you aren't good for anything. You let yourself be controlled, digging yourself deeper into trouble until you had to destroy the Earth or die. I know you just want to prove yourself. I forgive you." Loki stared evilly as the rest of the team gasped.

"No, Steve! He's lying, can't you see that! I know what he was like, he enslaved me!" Clint cried.

"He is walking a fine line between evil and redemption. But he's never been evil. Only overlooked. And now he's bitter." Loki staggered back, as he thought of the others controlling him. He was a trickster, and he had want to kill them all, but he could see he was being used to allow Thanos access to the Tesseract.

"I just wanted to be King." Loki sighed brokenly, his eyes shut tight.

Tony was staring at Loki. He could see himself in Loki before Yinsen saved him. Before he made his own destiny and became powerful. Always in his father's shadow, until he became the glorious Iron Man.

"You nearly killed all of us. I still have nightmares of that wormhole." Tony began. "But I forgive you." He stopped. "We all do." Thor lifted Mjolnir from his brother's throat, and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you." Loki whispered to the group.


	6. Chapter 6

"Right now, we have more important things to worry about." Tony said, virtually excluding Loki from the conversation. "Rogers, you need to suit up, and Clint and Natasha you need to load up. We have to head off to SHIELD."

Loki pulled away from Thor. "If you hand me over to them as their prisoner, I will kill you. All of you." Tony turned back to Loki.

"This has nothing to do with you." He stated harshly. Steve frowned, and offered an explanation.

"We've all had an extremely similar dream, and we believe it's SHIELD trying to control us." Loki laughed.

"Trust me, the people on this Earth neither have the magic, or the science to do that. They might be good, but they aren't that good." He rolled his eyes. Natasha glared at him.

"You know nothing of our sciences. You could not know that." She snapped.

"Your world might seem more evolved than Asgard, but..." He conjured a roaring lion standing next to him, and then it dissolved in a wisp of smoke. "No-one on this planet has magic. Magic is the only way to control another living thing. Dr Banner, Mr Stark, you can confirm this can't you?" The group turned to them, and they nodded their heads.

"You should be just as wary of these two as you are of me." Loki snorted. "But believe me, they aren't controlling you."

Steve stood up straighter. "We need to find out the truth, whatever it may be. Retreat to your rooms, and we'll meet outside in 15 minutes. Mr Stark?" Tony nodded in agreement, and headed to his workshop. The rest of the group retired to their rooms. Thor and Loki were the only two left on the roof.

"Thor, why are you going with them? Their human business doesn't concern us."

"Brother, I had the same dream." Loki looked confused.

"That isn't possible. You aren't from this Earth." Thor dipped his head in agreement. "What was this dream?" Thor told him about the fight in Jotunheim and Loki dying in his arms. Loki's expression grew more concerned. Then he finished with telling him about the expanse of the universe that looked a lot like the nine realms. Loki's eyes were wide and disturbed.

"...I had the same dream whilst I was imprisoned."

Tony had rushed off to his workshop to make sure his latest suit was fit for use. "JARVIS, call Pepper down here please."

"Already doing it, sir." Tony tinkered with the suit, adjusting panels and weapons, waiting for Pepper to get down to his workshop.

"Tony?" Pepper called cautiously from the doorway. He spun round, a sad smile on his face.

"Come in." She walked over to him, and he held his arms out. She settled in his arms. He made sure she was up to speed with events and then continued "We're going off to SHIELD. We have to confront them. It's something serious if even Loki is involved. I need you to stay in here. JARVIS will look after you, whatever happens."

"Of course, sir." Tony looked at Pepper and kissed her forehead. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Tony, I didn't want to worry you, but I had the dream too." Tony stared at her.

"Pepper...?" She nodded, looking past him sadly.

"I have to come too. I want to know why I'm involved. I'm not special." She said. Tony shook his head and kissed her deeply. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

"Pepper, you're more special than all of us put together." Her lips quirked in a half smile. "I know I can't dissuade you from coming, but please, let me look after you." He said. She nodded, and he shut his eyes, afraid of what was coming.

The Avengers, and Loki, minus Tony, met outside Tony's mansion. Thor spoke first, before Steve could assert his authority.

"Loki told me that he shared the same dream as us. It affects him too."

They all looked at Loki open-mouthed. Bruce recovered first.

"Tell us what your dream entailed Loki." Loki repeated his dream, telling them about how he died to save Thor, and then he was alone, above the universe. "It has to be something more than just SHIELD trying to control us. There's no way they could have reached his thoughts whilst he was imprisoned in Asgard." Bruce worried.

"Well then, the sooner we get there, the sooner, we can sort out this fucking mess." Tony pulled up and called out from the open window of his 4x4. "Get in."

The six Avengers, Loki and Pepper were squashed into Tony's car. Tony was driving maniacally to reach central California. "Okay, so we're looking out for Shayne, Idris, Edward and Danes Accountants, JARVIS." He spoke to the computer, who plotted a route to the building. "They're hiding underground here," Tony gestured, and a hologram of the building appeared in front of everyone. "We're just going to walk up to the front door, ring the bell, and go in. No violence until we're threatened. Thor and Steve, you're ahead. Natasha, Bruce and Clint you're in the middle, and horns, Pepper and I will be bringing up the rear." Loki bristled, but ignored Tony's taunting. The car raced to a halt, and Tony threw the handbrake on. He adjusted the bracelets on his wrists, ready for the suit to emerge from them. "Let's do this."

The troupe exited the car, falling into formation. Steve rang the bell and Nick Fury answered.

"You have questions." His voice came out of the intercom. Steve nodded.

"Yes we do." Bruce interjected.

"Don't worry Dr Banner, I can see all of you." Fury replied.

The door swung open. The room was bright and open, with white walls and white floor. A single black door was in the back wall. It opened, and Nick appeared. "Come on down then. I know why you're here."


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone shuffled toward the dark door, except for Tony who looked suspicious and spoke up. "And how could you know what we have come to ask you, Director Fury?"

Nick looked at Tony with a neutral expression. "Because I really do know everything. And there's no way you would all come to me of your own accord. Especially not with a war criminal in your midst." He turned to look at Loki who glared back.

"If you do try anything, I will kill you." Loki threatened.

"Oh I know." Nick replied lightly. "But then you'll never find out why every single one of you is having the same dream about your deaths." And with that, he walked down the stairs, into the darkness, and out of sight.

"I'm not going down there." Loki announced. Steve turned to look at him.

"We have to. We have to find out what is going on here."

"For once, I agree with tights." Tony said, looking at Loki disapprovingly. "Something big is going on. He knew we were coming, and why we're here. This is bigger than even you, horns." Loki sighed, rolled his eyes and took a step forward. The group moved closer to each other and descended down the stairs. They stayed in their formation, with Steve acting as appointed leader. The spiral staircase was narrow and dimly lit. Pepper tightened her grip on Tony's hand, and he squeezed back reassuringly. The journey down was long, but the further they went down to SHIELD HQ, their visibility increased ever so slightly. Finally, they reached the bottom, and they were in a giant, brick hall, lit by a rough approximation of the technology that had kept Tony alive for 5 years, and now only powered his suit. Tony tutted and stopped, Pepper in tow, to scrutinise it. He commented on how wrong it was, but offered no help to improve it.

"You could always help us improve it, Mr Stark." Nick suggested. Tony snorted. "We aren't here for you to flaunt your genius. We are here for," Nick gestured to a portal, glowing blue, and taking up an entire wall at the far end. "This. Come on." He increased their pace, past workstations of men and women typing away at their computers, and engineers tinkering with equipment. Maria Hill glanced up and jutted her head at Nick, who replied in kind. They reached the glowing portal, which was made of dark grey stone, and carved with ancient runes. Thor and Loki peered forward to read them, speaking in an exotic, otherworldly tongue. Bruce shivered as he felt magic burn through his soul.

"It's the same colour as our dre-" Steve started, but Clint shoved him with a sharp shake of his head. Steve shut up and looked away, pretending to be innocent. Thor and Loki finished their incantation, but the blue light stayed opaque, revealing no secrets.

"The runes may have the same form as your language, but these are as old as time itself." Nick spoke. Loki shivered. Being as old he was, that had more significance to him, and Thor, than to the humans of the group.

"I have been waiting for this moment since you each stepped into your various roles. I am only grateful it has come after we have had to chance to experience each of your greatness, and that you have been able to help us so much."

"How do you even know why we're here? I still don't believe you do." Natasha spoke up, fiery 'til the last. Nick sighed.

"You are all here, because you are an extremely unique group of humans," He looked at the brothers. "And the two kings from Asgard. You have uncovered the darkest secret of this world, but an answer is nothing with a question." Loki's magic flared up in his palms. "Stop. I told you I'm not here to hurt you." Thor placed a hand on his brother's chest, and the green light died away.

"I shall explain. You have all suffered disturbing dreams, that involved you dying. And then, the universe laid bare. You were content as you've never been before. Correct?" Nick asked them. They all looked suspicious, and nodded.

"How do you know that?" Thor thundered. "Are you the reason behind it?" Nick shook his head. "Together, you represent the brightest and most ingenious minds. Somewhere deep in your subconscious, odd events have been piecing themselves together, puzzle piece by puzzle piece. I need you all to tell me these dreams, and then, I shall tell you what they mean." The group recounted their dreams, starting with Steve, and ending with Tony. Pepper stood slightly behind him, scared to be involved. "You too Miss Potts. Your story is just as important as the rest of them."

Pepper began to speak quietly. "I was dreaming of being Tony's assistant, as usual," Tony kissed her hand but did not speak, "and suddenly, the dream morphed to me sitting on his couch, watching the tv, eagerly awaiting news of his location while he gave the speech to soldiers about the new Jericho missile, when the news broke that Tony Stark had been killed." Tony shivered. "And I just couldn't believe it. My boss, the man I was secretly in love with, and had been, ever since I'd laid eyes on him, even though I knew how he acted, was dead. And then, I was falling. My vision faded to grey, and I was floating amongst the stars." She finished, and hung her head, hiding her face. Tony pulled her to him, kissed her and whispered in her ear, "I'm here now. Forever."

"Thank you Miss Potts." Nick said quietly. Then he began to speak the language of the portal, and they all stood transfixed. The portal changed from a soft blue, to a blinding white.

"You're all dead."

The group all reacted differently, from Tony's derisive laugh, to Steve falling to his knees. Pain shot through his head. He moaned loudly. Everyone turned to look at him. Steve had been sensitive anyway, both in body and mind, and so was the first one to accept the truth. A blinding white light had seared through the mind, shattering the false memories of this life, and making him relive those last few seconds in the river.

"It's true." He whispered, recovering and standing up. Loki was muttering a spell to discern the truth in Nick's words and he found no lies. The white light seared through his mind, shattering his fake memories. He sighed and closed his eyes. He stood there alone, swaying. Tony was still laughing.

"Well of course you brainwashed these two, they're weak!" Nick moved between the group, placing a gloved hand on their bare skin, until he stood before Tony and Pepper. They had all reacted in similar ways. Clint held onto Natasha, hugging her tightly. She didn't think of the differences between their dreams, only of the pain in the truth of Nick's words. Bruce sat down, and his expression was confused. Thor jerked his head.

"There is truth in what this being parading as a man says."

Tony shook his head. "Nope. I don't believe it." Pepper stepped around him and grabbed Nick's hand. She recoiled and fell back into Tony's arms who growled. He swept a lock of hair from her eyes and stared into them. She nodded and Tony howled.

"I am Iron Man!" He cried. Nick placed a hand on his neck, and suddenly he wasn't angry or sad. He held Pepper in his arms and felt peace.

"Now that you know this is the first stage of your afterlife, I am offering you a choice. Walk through the portal and your atoms will turn to dust. Stay here and walk out of this building, and you will forget these events, and live out your lives in this dimension, until eventually you die, and your atoms are scattered to the wind. Choose wisely." Nick said gravely.

**AN: This is the second to last chapter, and the last chapter will be up soon. I hope you've enjoyed it so far, and would really appreciate if you could leave a review. Cheers :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Loki was the first person to move, and he stepped towards Nick, and the portal. He hung his head, and a gold shimmer encased his features. When he looked back towards the group, Nick frowned. Loki's features had changed. Not by much, he still _looked_ like Loki, but much younger. He looked like he did before he fell from the bifrost, before he found out he was a frost giant, while he still loved his brother, and the world. Thor gave a wordless, anguished groan. "Brother, stop this nonsense and change your features back! We've had enough of your magic." Loki turned around, heartbreak permeating his features. All the Avengers stared warily at his new face, but he held up his hands. His expression was lost, like a child's, and he spoke in a whisper.

"I am so sorry for everything. I didn't mean to cause you all so much harm and grief." He turned to Thor. "Brother, I...I love you. Even though you don't like me. Even if you never loved me back." Thor shook his head.

"Loki, despite everything, you are still my brother." Thor replied. Loki smiled a tiny half smile and then stopped and stared through them all, to a world beyond Earth. "I loved you father, even if you never loved me. Even when you always overlooked me for Thor or scolded me for using magic. Magic is who I am and I can't help it. I loved you mother, even when you never loved me because I wasn't your real son. No-one ever loved me. No-one has ever or will ever love me. I am consigned to the shadows, to always be second best." He stepped backwards, until his heels were a millimetre from the blinding white. Pepper grabbed Tony's arm and whimpered. Only she guessed what Loki would do. He stared at the group and truly smiled, tears in his eyes. He fell backwards, a peaceful expression on his face, into the white. His body glowed gold and dissolved, falling apart until his atoms were the only thing left, tiny and invisible, and they drifted away in all directions.

The group stood there, shocked. No-one had anything to say about Loki, because his actions had truly saddened them. Thor suddenly howled and stepped forward.

"Brother, why did you plant the idea about attacking Jotunheim in my head?" He cried at the portal. "I...we all would have been so much happier if I had never led you to your death! I know you felt injustice in your life and this was your solution! Become king and everything will work out. It doesn't work like that! You have to earn respect, you can't just force it from people." He sighed, and covered his face. "I wish I'd seen how you really felt. Seen how Father treated you. I wish I'd treated you properly, like a brother first and a competitor, an irritation second. Loki you are and always will be my brother. I love you." He dropped his hand. "I hope your death wasn't too painful Father. I'm sorry Asgard fell because of me. I hope the frost giants rot right next to me in hell." He stopped and marched to the portal. "Jane." He whispered. "Forgive me." And he walked straight in. His body, bathed in a silver glow, underwent the same transformation as Loki's, encompassed by the white light of the portal. His atoms were scattered amongst the universe. Thor was gone, forever.

Bruce spoke. "So this is why, whenever I tried to put a bullet in my brain, or drown myself, or jump off a bridge, I woke up perfectly fine as the other guy." Tony stepped forward, agony in his eyes. They were two kindred souls. Bruce smiled lightly at him. "I'm fine Tony. But that was why. It was all leading to this; to the truth of my existence." Nick dipped his head.

"Most people just die in this world, never knowing, and becoming infinite in their second deaths. But you are all special. You all needed to be given the choice of this afterlife or complete death. Your lives, and deaths were so cruelly ripped from you that you had to have a second chance this time around. And you had to be told." Nick said. Bruce stepped forward, removing his glasses and hooking them onto his shirt. "Thank you Tony. You've been there for me, and helped me through so much. Our bond will never die." He smiled. "And thank you to the rest of you. For accepting me. But now I'm free. Goodbye." He was the first of the group to say goodbye, and he ran into the light, arms flung out. His body was enveloped instantly, and glowed green. His atoms were scattered, and the scientist was infinite.

Something had been bothering Tony. "What happened to Pepper?" Pepper moved closer to him and nudged him. "Tony, it's not your place to ask." She hissed.

"Yes it is." He said arrogantly. "You loved me, and it was my fault you died." She looked at him.

"I still love you Tony." Nick received a clipboard from Maria who had silently approached him, and then returned to her seat.

"Do you want to know Miss Potts? I'm afraid your dream wasn't too clear, and for that I apologise. We can't always make them perfect." She shied into Tony and he felt her nod. He voiced her consent. "Well, Miss Potts, after Tony died you were absolutely heartbroken. It was painful to watch from here, and we wished you a quick death so that you could be happy again." He shuffled the papers. "You just stopped eating. You stopped going outside, and eventually you stopped moving altogether. You lay in bed, barely speaking, except to Tony's AI. You wasted away and died." Nick was blunt and Pepper whimpered as she remembered.

"Of heartbreak. Oh Pep." Tony said gently, and hugged her. She began to cry in his arms.

"Tony, I loved you so much, and you never even looked at me." Tony gritted his jaw and swallowed. "Pepper, I-I loved you too. But I never thought you wanted me, because I was broken and fucked up. I still am." He replied. "When I died, you were my last thought. I wanted to apologise for all the pain I caused you and to tell you I loved you." He stopped, uncomfortable with the show of emotions. He kissed her forehead. "I still love you. In this life, I love you even more. When I arrived back in California with the arc reactor in my chest and saw you, I'd never been happier." Pepper smiled in his arms.

"I love you too Tony. Both now, and before we died. We can't cross over. We have a life to lead." She spoke confidently. He nodded. "Director Fury, we'd like to be allowed to live the rest of this existence out."

"Well at last, a happy ending." He commented dryly. "The moment we escort you outside the building, you will be back in California, and all your memories of this will be erased. The dreams will never plague you again." Tony looked peaceful.

"Thank you." They stood there, in each other arms, happier than they'd ever been.

Steve stepped forward, a pained expression on his face. He spoke aloud, to no-one in particular. "I was never happy. I was always ashamed of myself and the way I was. I was weak, and the rejection from the army cemented that idea in my brain. I guess that was why I jumped into that river. When I became Captain America, I'd never felt more joy. The war was painful, but I could help people. I could save people. And then when I awoke in this time, I was a hero." He laughed gently as he thought of Phil. "People looked up to me, and I was the man I had always wanted to be." He un shouldered his shield and carefully put it on the floor. "I think it's time to give up this dream though. It has been good, but I need to wake up." He stepped over his shield, and ran a hand through his hair, nervously. "I hope it doesn't hurt anymore." He walked into the blinding light. Steve's eyes shut, and his body shimmered blue, and then he was no more.

Only Natasha and Clint were left. Clint looked at Natasha. "I will follow you 'Tasha. Whatever you choose. I don't think I could stand to be parted from you." She smiled wryly at him.

"Director Fury?" She asked. He turned to her. "Did you mix up my dream as well? Because Clint killed me. He never freed me." Nick's face was stern but his eyes were smiling.

"You were an anomaly Miss Romanov. You resisted the dream completely. We could only feed you three quarters of it, and your brain made up the rest. We've never seen such a strong individual in this life before." Clint laughed, as she sighed with relief.

"You've always been so fucking strong and resilient 'Tasha. Even when I told you I loved you, you just pinned me the floor until I could prove it." Her sigh turned into a laugh.

"I need you to keep me grounded Clint. We're staying. We still have an adventurous life to lead together." She said firmly, and leaned in to kiss him. Nick nodded.

"Okay then. If you'd all like to step into these two booths." He gestured, and the couples entered the booths. "I'm going to transport you back to your homes, and these days will never have happened." He flicked two switches, and their bodies shimmered away. Just as they left, Pepper murmured her thanks, Tony nodded, and Natasha and Clint smiled at Nick. He saluted them, and they were gone. "Right then." He said, walking away, and into his office. "Back to work SHIELD."

Natasha sat across from Clint and nibbled at her toast. He was drinking coffee. "What do you want to do today Clint?" she asked him. He grinned mischievously and she shook her head. "No." He rolled his eyes playfully, and the phone rang. She reached behind her chair, picked it up and replied to the caller in russian. "We've got a mission." She announced.

Tony woke up from a peaceful slumber and yawned. He rolled out of Pepper's grasp and waved his hand. "Display time JARVIS." He said.

"Yes sir." JARVIS replied quietly, and the window showed the time and weather for the day. Pepper groaned and grabbed Tony's leg.

"It's 6am. You only came to bed two hours ago. Go back to sleep." She muttered. He rolled his eyes but turned back over to cuddle her. He kissed her forehead and shut his eyes.

**AN: I am sorry that this chapter look so long to be uploaded. But it's here now, and this is the end of Dreaming of the stars. I really hope you all enjoyed it. **


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